Indianapolis 500 Wrapup

This is Dario Franchitti wired up to talk with TV hosts after winning the 91st Indianapolis 500. He came to America to drive in the CART (now Champ Car World Series) Championship Series. We would have posted this Sunday night...but the old bromide about "for want of a nail, etc." also works on computers. When there are two screws holding a case where there should be six, then strange things happen, just like at Indy...where there are more twists and turns than any road course anywhere, despite it being a 2 1/2 mile oval.

• Michael Andretti likely drove his last Indianapolis 500. He'll be credited with a 13th place lead lap finish. He is the Andretti in Andretti-Green Racing. Franchitti (winner) and Danica Patrick (8th) had the best finishes for AGR.
• I still contend that Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan are the two best IndyCar series drivers never to have won at Indianapolis. Methinks TK will have unfinished business next May.
• Don't count Helio Castroneves out of the IndyCar championship. He's 4th in points with 171, just 13 back from Scott Dixon, who retakes the IndyCar point lead.
• NASCAR aside--Casey Mears wins on Memorial Day weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. That means the Mears family (he and uncle Rick) has five Memorial Day wins between them.
• Score two for the good guys--Franchitti's win at Indy...and Kyle Petty's third at Lowe's. Franchitti remembered the late Greg Moore when he answered a question about being so well liked in the IndyCar paddock. As for Kyle...there are places in the afterlife for those who really come back from adversity to make the lives of others better. You might have a favorite driver...but Kyle ought to be one of your favorite people and role models as well.

We're taking a road break until Pocono on June 8.

Pre-Race Musings from the Soggy Brickyard

Milka Duno (above) says she's ready to start her first Indianapolis 500. Milka starts 29th. The last starter is rookie Phil Giebler.

Musings:

• Penske Racing can never be counted out. They are masters of showing one facet, and concentrating on another to get one of their drivers up front...see 2006, when Sam Hornish won. By the way, 2 time 500 winner Helio Castroneves starts from the pole.
• Ganassi Racing is another contender, with IndyCar Series point leader Dan Wheldon, and Scott Dixon (who is one of my best Indy Car drivers who haven't won the 500)
• Andretti-Green has two sentimental favorites named Andretti (Michael, who has come so close in past years and says he'll hang up the helmet after Sunday and son Marco, who came so close in 2006). They have a dark horse in Tony Kanaan (another of the best drivers who haven't won Indy).
• My dark horse sentimental picks would be, in order, Sarah Fisher and John Andretti.
• I think, however, that Penske and Helio pick up another "Baby Borg" for winning the 500.

Posted at 11:58 am local time